I decided to bump this up a little. On Bird Forum today, Steve Ingraham, who some may remember from his days independently doing binocular reviews on the "Better View Desired" site, popped in with his first post on that forum. He has worked for Zeiss ever since he left BVD. His post is quoted below. There is some good information there.
The BF thread is linked here and also provides some good info
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?p=2650311#post2650311Steve Ingraham
"Let's lay a few things from this thread to rest.
1) all the TERRA EDs anyone has seen are PROTOTYPES, and the armor is Rapid Prototyping Material, not the final armor. As it happens it has very similar consistency and feel to final armor, but NO CONCLUSIONS should be drawn as to the smell
2) The official TERRA ED story.
We (ZEISS Sports Optics) made a decision several years ago to bring the ZEISS Premium experience to new groups of birders and wildlife observers. We see the ZEISS Premium Experience as being a combination of exceptional optical performance...the brightest, highest resolution, highest contrast images available...and superior mechanical quality and performance, which includes a well balanced, easy hold, and smooth, relatively rapid, focus.
Our VICTORY Binoculars will continue to set the absolute standard for quality and permanence. They are essentially hand made in Germany. It is our intention that they simply have on competition. They are the best.
The Conquest HD line of binoculars are intended to be competitive with premium offerings from other European makers, including glasses which cost twice as much. They use a High Definition Lens design, which includes ED glass. They have the same "quality of view"...bright, sharp images...as the Victories, and the same excellent ergonomics, though in a more compact body design. We offer them at exceptional value. All CONQUETS HD products are marked Made in (binoculars), or Assembled in (riflescopes) Germany.
TERRA ED Binoculars are designed, engineered, and quality assured in Germany. In order to meet a very aggressive price point, and still bring the full ZEISS Premium Experience, assembly is outsourced (for binoculars, to China).
More specifically, since this is a TERRA ED thread, and to cover items already mention in the thread:
The optical design of the TERRA EDs is built around (real) SCHOTT ED glass, to provide the same "quality of view" as their more expensive siblings. They do not have T* Coatings, but the ZEISS MC multicoating has a very similar transmission curve and equal total transmission. We have used ZEISS MC coatings on Conquest riflescopes and binoculars for many years now. The TERRA EDs share the new look and the improved ergonomics of the VICTORY HTs and CONQUEST HDs, but in an even more compact and light weight form. The TERRA EDs are a fully premium product from ZEISS. We have done what we had to do, in today's market, to bring them within reach of those on a budget, beginning and aspiring birders and wildlife observers, and anyone who wants a real premium experience at price most can afford.
No apologies! This is a real ZEISS product and I am proud to be involved in its development (with Gerold Dobler taking the lead in Germany) and to be able to offer it to a whole new group of birders and observers! Everyone I have showed them too has been astounded when I tell them price! They are that good.
To put it another way. This is NOT the Diafun! There will be no Diafuns on my or Mr. Dobler's watch! I promise you that. (And remember, the Diafun reached the market at $700!)
You will be able to judge for yourselves when the TERRA EDs reach dealers in April...or if you get to a festival where I am between now and then. (San Diego or the new Birding Optics and Gear Expo in Columbus OH, anyone?)"
Note he does not say which of the more than a dozen worldwide locations of Schott Factories produce the glass for the Terra ED.
